Mechanism for feeding sheets to rotary drum machines



June 16, 1953 H. 1'. BACKHOUSE 2,642,282

MECHANISM FOR FEEDING SHEETS T0 ROTARY DRUM MACHINES Filed Nov. 9, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 16, 1953 H. T..BACKHOUSE 2,642,282

' MECHANISM FOR FEEDING SHEETS TO ROTARY DRUM MACHINES Filed Nov. 9, 1949 I 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 16, 1953 H. 1. BACKHOUSE MECHANISM FOR FEEDING SHEETS TO ROTARY DRUM MACHINES Filed Nov. 9, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 June 16, 1953 H. 1'. BAcKHo'UsE MECHANISM FOR FEEDING SHEETS TO ROTARY DRUM MACHINES Filed Nov. 9, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII i & T a, 44 M I June 16,1953 H. 1-. BACKHOUSE 2,642,282

MECHANISM FOR FEEDING SHEETS T0 ROTARY DRUM MACHINES Filed NOV. 9, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 bodiment,

Patented June 16, 1953 OFFICE Y MncmmsrnFon-fFEEmNG sHEE'rs TO g nornnr DRUM, MACHINES aflcadleyfliownsend Backhouse; Sunnin'gdale,

Engl

pli s-immi rated 19 19,"Scr ia1No..126,265

In'GreatBritafin Novemberfl'Z, 1948 M 2 The invention relates to a mechanism for transferring sheets or-paper, card or the like, one" by one from a layboard to grippers carried on a rotating drum, for example the drum of a rotary printing machine. It'is an object of the invention to provide a simple and effective mecham'sm for this purpose.

- The invention consists in a mechanism" for transferring sheets of paper, card orthe like one by one from a lay board to grippers carried on a drum grippers while moving at aslightly great er speed-than the drum grippers so that the front edge of the sheet is positively pushed up to registering stops onthe drum before release of the sheet by the-suction gripper, any excess of movement of the portion'of "the'sheet held by the suctio-ngrippenbeing accommodated by a slight buckling of the sheet between that" portion and the front edge,

Three practical embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example of the invention, with reference to the 'accomanying drawingswhich are to someextent diagrammatic and in which:

Figure 1 is a side-view illustrating-the first embodiment,

Figure 2 is a diagram showing various stages in the cycle of operation of a'machine incorporating, in a modified form, the embodiment shown in Figure 1,

V Figure 3 is a side view showing the secondemsuction grippers l spaced apart across the lay--*' board I2 and each arranged for reciprocation on? the underside of the layboard l2 towardslor away from the drum [4 and to grip the underface of i the sheet I6, to be transferred, during the move ment of the ripper-lo towarde'the drum =14. In thisrembodiment each suction gripper I015 reoiprocated in guides l8 below-the layboard l2: by means of an arm on an oscillatory shaft 4 Claims. (Cl. 271--53) 22. The-mouth of the gripper Ill is received within a slot 24 in the layboard I2 and is sub-- stantially level with the upper surface of the layboard l2. At the forward limit of its movement the suction gripper I0 lies just behind the front lays 26 which are constructed as described in my U. S; application Serial No. 62,251, filed November26, 1948. The extent of movement Figure 2 shows seven stages in the cycle of operations of a machine similar to that shown in Figure 1 but modified-to the extent that the sheets are fed to the lower part of the drum in, stead of to the top of the drum. Figure2A shows the first stage in the feeding of the sheet to the drum. The sheet l6 has arrived at the front lays 25 and registration of the front edge of the sheet 16 is effected during the rotation of the drum Ma through 90, 1. e; the drum l la carrying the grippers 38a moves in a clockwise direction through 90 from the position shown in Figure 2A. The end of this stage in thecycle is illustrated in Figure2B. It will be noticed that the second sheet I601; has advanced from the posit-ion shown in Figure 2A. When front registration has been effected the sheet 16 is gripped by suction sidelay mechanism 40 which, during the next 90 of rotation of the drum, draws the sheet f8 sideways up to a sidelay to effect side registration of the sheet [6. At the end of the second 90 of movement (illustrated in Figure 20) the sidelay mechanism 40 releases the sheet l6 and the sheet is gripped on its underface by the suction grippers 10 which, during the next 90 of movement, feed the front edge of the sheet l6 into the grippers 38a of the drum. 'Figure 2D shows the position of the sheet after of this movement, and Figure 2E shows the position at the end of the movement. It will be observed that'the front lays 26 have been lowered out of the path of the edge of the sheet l6. During the next of movementthe sheet is par- I tially withdrawn by the drum Ma, the front lays 26' are restored to their initial position and the suction grippers lfl'are' also returned to their starting. position. It will be observed that a large portion of thesheet It remains on the layboard andthat the front portion of the suc-: ceeding sheet Him is still covered bythesheet 3 Hi. The leading edge of the sheet I8 is then transferred to grippers 38a on the impression drum 42, and a fresh cycle of operations begins. Figure 2G shows the position at the end of 180 of the second cycle. The rear portion of the sheet I6 is still overlying the leading portion of the next sheet I60, and front and side registration of the succeeding sheet is being effected in the manner already described, below the rear portion of the sheet Hi. In this way adequate time is obtained for efiecting the registration of the sheets, and the drum Ma may have a diamesheets of a corresponding size. It-will be appreciated that in the arrangement just described the suction grippers l move at a speed which, is greater than the peripheral speed of the drum I 4a, and that to ensure that the edge of the sheet I6 is properly fed into the grippers 38:; on the drum Ma the suction grippers I!) have a slight excess of movement which is taken up by a buckling of the sheet IS. The stop 44 on the drum Ma ensures that the front edge of the sheet It isproperly located.

In the'second embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 3 the suction gripper is constituted by'a suctionroller 50. The roller is of the type comprising a hollow shell 52 and means 54 for applying suction from: the inside of the shell 52 successively to a series of radially 'extending holes 56 in the shell 52 in timed relation with the engagement of the outside of the shell 52 with the sheet 16 as the roller 50 rotates. The roller 50 is positioned over the layboard l2 adjacent to the front lays 2B and is arranged as it is rotated to engage the upper surface of each sheet 16 in turn and to push the sheet 16 towards and into the grippers 28 on the drum Ma.

In the third embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 4 and there are several suction grippers 60 arranged above the layboard l2 and each carried on the lower end of a swinging arm 62. Each arm 62 is arranged for oscillation by a horizontal shaft 64 above and extending transversely to the layboard l2, forwardly from the position shown in which it is approximately perpendicular to the layboard l2 to move the suction gripper 60 towards the drum l4 and thereby to push the front edge of a sheet'lfi carried by the gripper 60 over a guide 25A, againstthe drum l4 and into the drum grippers 28. The arm 62 starts from a condition of rest and accelerates rapidly to move the suction gripper 60,

and the sheet I6, at a slightly greater speed than the drum gripper when the sheet lfireaches the drum l4 so that the sheet It is'positively pushed into the drum gripper. The suction gripper may be arranged, by means not shown, to be lifted clear of the sheet during the backward stroke of the arm and to be lowered onto the sheet at the beginning of the forward stroke to grip the sheet; After the sheet has been pushed into the drum gripper 28 the gripper releases the sheet [6, the arm 52 continues its movement for a short distance, with deceleration, to the position shown at 80A and then returns to the vertical position. Means are provided for lifting the gripper 60 clear of the sheet [6 during'the return movement and for lowering the gripper 60 at the end thereof to grip the next sheet. These means are shown in Figures 4 and 5 and are arranged as follows. The shaft 64 is carried at its ends in eccentric bearings 66 (only one is shown) in the machine side frames 68. Each of these bearings has cars 10. H which areengaged by screws l2, 14 on arms 16, 18 secured to the shaft 64. As the shaft 64 approaches the limit of its rocking movement to move the gripper 60 to the position 60A, the screws 14 engage the ears 10 and further movement of the shaft rotates the bearings in the frame 68 thereby to lift the shaft 64 and grippers .60 away from the sheet IB by reason of the eccentricity of the bearings. Similarly, as the grippers 60 return towards the starting position the screws 12 engage the ears 1| androck the-bearings to lower the gripper B0 7 onto the sheet l6. I ter which is less than that normally required for It is not essential that, in the last described embodiment, the'suction gripper 60 makes an arcuate movement. It may be given a rectilinear movement or a movement of varied curvature as best suited tothe path required for the sheet and a cam control may be incorporated for that purpose.

Each of the above described embodiments shown in'Figures 1, 3, 4 and 5,-is applicable to a stream feeder onto a feeder of' the kind which the sheets arrive individually on the'layboard. I

When the machine is to handle sheets arriving individually the suction gripper employed in the invention may be positioned above or below the sheet whether the gripper be arranged for reciprocation, oscillation or continuous rotation according to the above examples.

I claim:

1. Mechanism for feeding sheets one at a time in registered relation-to grippersand registering stops carried on a rotating drum, which mechanism comprises a feedboard onto which the sheets may be supplied inturn, front Iays for locating at aregistering position the front edge of each sheet on thefeedboard in turn and arranged to be withdrawn below the feedboard to facilitateremoval of the sheetaside lay mechanism for drawing successive sheets on the feedboard sideways and arranged for operation be neath the rear portion of a preceding sheet, at

least one suction gripper arranged to grip the' front portion ofeach sheet in turn at a location behind the front edge and after side registration has been effected, and means for operating the suction gripper to feed the front edge ofthe sheet while so gripped past the registering position and when the front lays are withdrawn to the grippers on the drum with a slight excess of movement accommodated by a slight buckling of the sheet between the'gripper and the front edge of the sheet.

' 2. Mechanism m feeding sheets one at a time in registered relation to grippers and registering least one suction gripper operating from the un- 1 derside of the sheets to grip each sheet in turn at a location in the front portion thereof spaced behind the front edge and after side registration has been'effected, and means for reciprocating the suction gripper towards and away from the; drum and arranged to move the gripper, while gripping the sheet, toward therotating drum and timed relation with the rotation thereofirtoI 5 feed the front edge of the sheet so gripped past the registering position While the front lays are withdrawn, to the grippers and stops on the drum at a speed slightly greater than that of the drum surface and witha slight excess of movement accommodated by slight buckling of the sheet between the suction gripper and the front edge and then to return the gripper after it has released the sheet to a position in which it is ready to engage the next sheet.

3. Mechanism for feeding sheets one at a time 6 move the gripper, while grippingthe sheet, to-

wards the rotating drum and in timed relation with the rotation thereof to feed the front edge of the sheet sogripped past the registering position while the front lays are withdrawn, to the grippers and stops on the drum at a speed slight- -.1y greater than that of the surface of the drum and with a slight excess of movement accommodated by slight buckling ofthe sheet between the suction gripper and the front edge and then to return the gripper after'it has released the in registered relation to grippers and registering stops carried on a rotating drum, which mechanism comprises a feedboard onto which the sheets may be supplied in turn, front'lays for locating at a registering position the front edge.

of each sheet on the feedboard' in turn-and arranged to be withdrawn belowthe-feedboard to facilitate removal of the sheets, side lay mechanism for drawing successive sheetson the feedboard sideways and arranged for operation beneath the rear portion of a preceding sheet, at

least one suction gripper operating above the sheets to grip each sheet in' turn at a location in the front portion thereof spaced behind the front edge and after side registration has been effected, and means for oscillating the gripper towards and away from the drum arrangedto sheet to a position in which it is ready to engage .the next sheet.

4. Mechanism as claimed in claim 3, in which the gripper and the means for oscillating the gripper are arranged to continue the forward movement of the gripper after it has released the-sheet, before beginningthe return movement.

l-IEADLEY TOWNSEND BACKI-IOUSE.

References Cited in the file of-this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,087,997 Reinartz July 27, 1937 2,248,079 I-Iarrold et a1. July 8, 1941 2,328,943 Backhouse Sept. 7, 1943' 2,395,444 Belluche .F eb.-2'6,1946 

